India's judiciary is the world's largest legal system by caseload, organised into a strict three-tier hierarchy with specialised tribunals on the side. Knowing which court will hear your matter — and finding a lawyer who regularly practises there — is the single most important decision when you start legal proceedings.

The Supreme Court of India, located in New Delhi, is India's apex court. It hears constitutional matters, Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) from High Court orders, transfer petitions, and cases of national importance. The Chief Justice of India leads 34 judges who sit in various benches. Representation at the Supreme Court typically requires an Advocate-on-Record (AOR) who can be briefed alongside a senior counsel for arguments.

High Courts are the top courts at the state level. India has 25 High Courts, some serving single states (e.g., Delhi HC, Karnataka HC) and some multiple states or UTs (e.g., Bombay HC covering Maharashtra + Goa + Dadra & Nagar Haveli; Punjab & Haryana HC covering Punjab + Haryana + Chandigarh). High Courts hear writ petitions under Articles 226 and 227, civil and criminal appeals, and in some cases — Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, and Delhi — they also have original civil jurisdiction for high-value suits.

District & Sessions Courts are where most criminal and civil matters originate. India has over 700 District Courts, each with a District Judge hearing civil matters above the Junior Civil Judge's jurisdiction, and a Sessions Judge hearing Sessions-triable criminal offences. Below them, Senior and Junior Civil Judges, Magistrate Courts (Chief Judicial / Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Judicial Magistrates), and Small Causes Courts handle lower-value or lesser offences. Local jurisdiction is decided by where the cause of action arose (for civil) or where the FIR was registered (for criminal).

Specialised tribunals handle domain-specific disputes under their own statutes: NCLT and NCLAT for company and insolvency matters, ITAT for income tax, CESTAT for central excise and customs, NGT for environmental, RERA for real estate, DRT and DRAT for bank recovery, Consumer Commissions (District, State, NCDRC) for consumer disputes, Armed Forces Tribunal for service matters, and many more. Tribunals typically follow their own procedural rules, are faster than regular courts, and benefit from specialised domain-expert members alongside judicial members. NyaySevak's verified lawyers have direct filing experience at every level of this system — from local Magistrate Courts to the Supreme Court and every major tribunal.